Jesse White - Illinois Secretary of State

By Adriana Colindres GateHouse News Service

SPRINGFIELD - A new state law is cracking down on first-time DUI offenders in Illinois. As of Jan. 1, they will have to outfit their vehicles with alcohol-detection equipment if they want to drive legally to work or anywhere else while their licenses are suspended. The equipment, called an ignition interlock device, requires a driver to blow into a tube so his or her breath can be tested for liquor. The car won't start if alcohol is detected. "We don't care when and where you're driving as long as you have this ignition interlock device installed in your car," said Susan McKinney, administrator of the breath alcohol ignition interlock division in the secretary of state's office. "The whole point is to stop people from driving while they're impaired, and that's what this machine does." First-time DUI offenders have the option of choosing not to drive while their licenses are suspended, she said. Otherwise, they must arrange for an ignition interlock devise. The new law also will increase the license-suspension periods for any motorist who is pulled over for a suspected driving under the influence and who either fails or refuses to take a breath-alcohol test. The suspensions will last six months for offenders who fail the test and 12 months for suspected offenders who refuse it. The measure will provide "one more way to make our roads safer," said Rep. John D'Amico (D-Chicago), one of the key lawmakers behind it. The Legislature and Gov. Rod Blagojevich approved the new law in 2007, but it carried a delayed implementation date to give the secretary of state's office enough time to prepare. Secretary of State Jesse White believes the tougher law will save lives, spokesman Henry Haupt said. Budget cuts implemented earlier this year by Blagojevich sliced $1.25 million in general revenue funds that were designated for the new ignition interlock program, officials in White's office said. But White reshuffled money within his office to provide the needed startup funding. The program eventually will pay for itself with DUI offenders' fees, Haupt said. White's office estimates as many as 30,000 people could opt for the ignition interlock program next year. Offenders will have to pay a $30-a-month "monitoring fee" to the secretary of state's office. In addition, they must pay for the leasing and installation of ignition-interlock devices on their vehicles. White's office has authorized six vendors to do the work, and DUI offenders can choose among them. Costs vary a bit depending on the vendor, the location and the type of vehicle. For example, Alco-Test Inc. charges a $155 installation fee, which includes a one-month lease, and then an additional $75-a-month leasing fee. Consumer Safety Technology charges an installation fee of $60 to $100, and the monthly lease costs about $68. Both companies offer ignition-interlock installation sites throughout the state. On a day-to-day basis, the costs are "relatively inexpensive," said Dave Arringdale, chief executive officer of Consumer Safety Technology. "When you compare it to the price of a drink, it's really inexpensive." The national organization, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, has been working to get ignition interlock laws on the books in all 50 states. About a half-dozen other states have enacted laws similar to the one taking effect in Illinois. The first was New Mexico, where officials estimate ignition interlocks prevented about 63,000 "alcohol-involved driving events" in 2006, according to a MADD news release. "It has been extremely effective in New Mexico," said Susan McKeigue, state executive director for Illinois MADD. But the American Beverage Institute views ignition interlock laws with skepticism, saying that requiring the devices for first-time DUI offenders with low blood-alcohol content is excessive punishment. The ABI Web site contends that "drunk drivers will - as they already do - find ways around this technology, (and) millions of responsible social drinkers will be inconvenienced." McKinney acknowledged the new law won't be foolproof. "No one law is going to be the cure-all to the drunk driving problem," she said. "But (this is) going to decrease drunk driving."